The way state Rep. Steve Humphrey explained it, House Bill 1089 was simply about ensuring Colorado’s schoolchildren are urged to think critically in science classes and hear all sides of a debate.

But critics of the Severance Republican’s bill, which was heard before the House Education Committee on Monday, painted it as a way for teachers to give equal weight in class to non-scientific and religious viewpoints as should be given to science on global warming and evolution.

The bill says there are some subjects such as “biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming and human cloning” that are controversial and that teachers may be unsure of expectations in teaching about these topics.

Hence, the bill says, school boards and administrators “must not prohibit any public school teacher in this state from helping students understand, analyze, critique and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in a given course.”

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.